The Golden Nutties: The best of the best in beer

Boys and girls, it’s finally here, what you’ve been waiting for since last year. That’s right, it’s time for the third annual Golden Nutties, a look at the best in Bay State beer in 2017.

Just a couple of notes. I concentrate on Massachusetts because there are so many good things going on here, it’s hard to look beyond the Bay State. Also, for a beer to be considered for Beer of the Year award, that beer needs to be distributed, it can’t be a brewery-only beer.

As always, winning breweries can request a prize – I’ll print out a nice photo of myself, sign it and mail it to you and you can frame it.

And now, here are the Golden Nutties.

Best New Brewery: River Styx Brewing, Fitchburg

Nearly 40 new breweries opened in Massachusetts in 2017 and although there are many really good ones, River Styx is a standout. Every batch of beer they brew at their Boulder Drive brewery is an improvement on the last. They do a really good job with their IPAs and stouts, and they’ve had a few good saisons. The taproom is spacious, and they did a fantastic job on staying on theme with their décor – you’re greeted by the River Styx Ferryman as you come in, and all of the artwork, as well as lighting, is inspired by Greek Mythology.

Best Brewery Taproom: Springdale Barrel Room, Framingham

Springdale, the offshoot of Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers, opened up at the end of 2016, but really took off in 2017. It’s a wonderland of fun – they have skeeball, shuffleboard, cornhole, Deer Hunter, pinball games, video games, etc., to help keep you entertained. And, most importantly, they have great beer – you’d be hard-pressed to find a brewery with a more diverse portfolio of beers, from barrel-aged sours, to IPAs and several German and Belgian-inspired brews. Add to that tons of room, a great taproom staff and more than ample parking and you have a destination worth visiting. If you think I’m just picking them because they’re in Framingham, you’d be wrong. I live quite a distance from Framingham and still held my birthday celebration there.

Most Underrated Brewery: Fort Hill Brewery, Easthampton

I love Fort Hill Brewery. I’ve been on their bandwagon since they opened. Yet, you never hear anyone talk about them. Maybe it's because their beers are cheap (I picked up a six-pack for $7.89 this weekend), or their beers are in 12-ounce cans rather than the more popular 16-ounce cans? Who knows? But what I do know is they make great beer – Jigsaw Jazz is a great double IPA, G-Fresh and Fresh Pick are great low-alcohol IPA options, and Fort Hill’s German options, including the Hera Pils and the Doppelbock, are top notch. And did I mention cheap. Get some.

Best New Beer of the Year: The Tempest, Shakesbeer Beverages, Hingham

This is probably the most surprising beer/brewery to make the list. Shakesbeer Beverages is a Hingham-based brewing company that contract brews its beers. They’ve only released two beers so far. Act One was decent, but the Tempest is excellent. It’s a spot-on New England IPA, a 7.7 percent alcohol by volume “juicy” IPA. It’s fantastic and nothing I’d expect from a contract-brewed beer I knew nothing of. As William Shakespeare said in “The Tempest,” “Now I will believe that there are unicorns ...”

Brewery of the Year: Night Shift Brewing Company, Everett

Night Shift killed it in 2017. They had several beers that were in the running for Beer of the Year. The One Hop This Time series (a series of beers brewed with a single hop) continued to be a showcase of hop flavors. The Dynasty imperial stout they recently released is amazing. Fluffy IPA was a delight. I loved the Cow Tipper milk stout and the Village Lager filled up multiple liter mugs at my house. In short, Night Shift took off to another level in 2017, and I continue to look forward to what they come up with in 2018.

Norman Miller is a Daily News staff writer. Email him at nmiller@wickedlocal.com or call at 508-626-3823. Check out the Beer Nut blog at blogs.wickedlocal.com/beernut. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @RealBeerNut and on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerBeerNut.

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